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Dinosaurs Word Search (free printable)

A free dinosaur word search with twenty-two words (Triceratops, Velociraptor, fossil, herbivore, Jurassic), a word bank and an answer key. Choose the grid size and difficulty.

22 words. “Polar bear” becomes POLARBEAR. Add a clue after a colon (“snow: white flakes”) to put clues in the bank.
Grid size
Difficulty
Up to 40 letters. They fill the first leftover squares, so the letters nobody circles spell it. On the board it flies into place when the last word is found.
Sort and find: the look-alikes hide in the grid and the word bank too, so children decide which to circle.

Use this list in: bingo cards

Dinosaurs Word SearchDinosaurs Word SearchNameDateOAPREHISTORICTGBRACHIOSAURUSNRAILLFEITIQSACOMSVELOCIRAPTORVCPEOTSALIWDEDEWAEXNRSTPAJAGITIRFTTIIHISWIONATNOIOCLEOSESSOCEIONLEARQIAEASEEVTCORABOCNEUAOOOPTGARIAOLARUULRREITEVBRGTURSAEIESOAOJURASSICLNTTPARMORIIROYCTHNSNESTELHORNSFIND THESE WORDSDINOSAURFOSSILEXTINCTTRICERATOPSSTEGOSAURUSBRACHIOSAURUSVELOCIRAPTORHERBIVORECARNIVOREFOOTPRINTCLAWSHORNSARMORJURASSICCRETACEOUSTRIASSICPREHISTORICPALEONTOLOGISTBONESNESTTAILTEETHPuzzle 73511Free at teach.peabody.kids
Puzzle ·
Dinosaurs Word Search: answer keyDinosaurs Word Search: answer keyEvery word to find is circled.OAPREHISTORICTGBRACHIOSAURUSNRAILLFEITIQSACOMSVELOCIRAPTORVCPEOTSALIWDEDEWAEXNRSTPAJAGITIRFTTIIHISWIONATNOIOCLEOSESSOCEIONLEARQIAEASEEVTCORABOCNEUAOOOPTGARIAOLARUULRREITEVBRGTURSAEIESOAOJURASSICLNTTPARMORIIROYCTHNSNESTELHORNSPuzzle 73511Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key ·

To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheets print.

All 22 words are in the grid, and each one appears once.

About this set

Twenty-two dinosaur words in a 15 by 15 grid. The names children love to say (Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Velociraptor) are the long words, and they are hidden among shorter science words that every unit uses: fossil, extinct, herbivore, carnivore, footprint, bones, claws and teeth, together with the three periods (Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous) and paleontologist, the scientist who digs them up. Paleontologist is fourteen letters, the longest answer, so the puzzle fits fifth graders, while a first grader can use the word bank and begin with nest, tail and horns. The answer key is on page two.

Grades: 1st to 5th grade. Best in: September, October, May.

The words to find

Dinosaur · Fossil · Extinct · Triceratops · Stegosaurus · Brachiosaurus · Velociraptor · Herbivore · Carnivore · Footprint · Claws · Horns · Armor · Jurassic · Cretaceous · Triassic · Prehistoric · Paleontologist · Bones · Nest · Tail · Teeth

How to use it: five ideas

  1. Herbivore or carnivore: students underline the plant-eaters in blue and the meat-eaters in red, using a book as a guide.
  2. Name practice: students say each long dinosaur name syllable by syllable to a partner as they circle it.
  3. Fossil facts: each student picks one word, such as fossil or footprint, and writes a sentence explaining what it tells scientists.
  4. Timeline: with the three period names found, students put Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous in order on a strip of paper.
  5. Early finishers: leave extra copies in a “Dinosaur dig” folder for students who finish the lesson ahead of the class.

Related

Questions

Why is Pterosaur not in the puzzle?

Pterosaurs, such as the pterodactyl, were flying reptiles, not dinosaurs. You can add Pterosaur to the box if your class studies them next to the dinosaurs.

Can I make it easier for younger students?

Yes. Delete the longest names (Paleontologist, Brachiosaurus), choose Easy for across and down only, and use a 12 by 12 grid.

Can I change the words or the difficulty?

Yes. Edit the 22 words in the box, choose Easy, Medium or Hard, pick a grid size from 8 to 25 and a shape, and add a secret message if you like. The puzzle rebuilds as you change it, and any word that cannot fit is listed.

Can we play it on the board?

Yes. Press “Play on the board”: the class finds words by dragging across them or tapping the first and last letters, each find plays a note, and H gives a hint. Press F to fill the projector.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Press Print and choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. The puzzle is page one and the answer key is page two.

How do I get a different layout?

Press “Make another”. The same words are placed in a new arrangement, which is handy when neighbors should not have the same puzzle.

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